Game apparatus



J. T. DWYER -May 24,1927.

GAME APPARATUS Filed March Inventor c7. L7'. ,Bauj/6l am? Patented May '24,

- narran STATES lParser ora-Ical JERRY T. DWYER, GF YOUNGS'IO'WN, OHIO.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed March 24, 1926. Serial No. 97,041.

club to enable a golf player to increasehis e skill in pitching' or driving the ball, as well as to play scoringI rame in which a given number of points is counted Jfor each peritected shot.

Another object ot the invention isfthe provision of an apparatus for vthe general purposes indicated that is adapted to be quickly and easily set up," either indoors or outdoors` and maintained in working position without entailing` attaching of any part of the apparatus to the floor, ceiling or other part of the room or hall, or to any support whatsoever, whether indoors or outdoors.-

Another object is the provision of a pitching or driving apparatus susceptible of bein er 'folded and thereby reduced to a bundle ot small compass for storage or shipment and also capable of being expeditiously and easily set up ready for use without the employment of skilled labor and without the assistance or any tools whatsoever.

My novel game apparatus is susceptible of use in any place whatsoever, such as golf clubs, schools, amusement parks and homes.

@ther objects,` advantages and uses of the invention will be fully understood from the followingr description and claims when the same are read in connect-ion with the drawings,n accompanying' and 'forming' part of this specification, in whichl lFigure l is a trout elevation showingr the apparatus constituting the best practical lembodiment of my invention that I have as yet devised. f

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section o'f the apparatus. l

`Figure 3 is a view or' a 'fragmentary detail hereinafter explicitly referred to.

Aimilar numerals of reference designate corresjonding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

VJ@among other elements my novel apparatus comprises a wall l which is preferably formed or' canvas or other appropriate flexible material, though if deemed expedient it niay be formed of material that is stiff. The

said wall l is provided with tour, more or less, apertures 2, and, within the purview of my invention, the said apertures 2 may be variously shaped and arranged in the discretion of the manutacturer.- As shown the apertures include upper and lower horizontally extending slots and vertically arranged and spaced slots located in a plane between the plane oi the horizontal slots. My invention also contemplates providingA the saidA apertures 2 with different numbers as illustrated, roi' scoring purposes, the score made by the pitching or driving` of a golf ball through either of the two verticalslot-like apertures being higher than the scores made when the ball is driven through one of the horizontally disposed slot-like apertures.

To carry out the self-supporting feature, which isone oi the basic principles of the apparatus, the wall l is arranged lbetween and connected to uprighttrame members 3, and hingedly connected at l in appropriate manner to the upper end of the board l are prop members .5, the said prop members 5 beine` normally maintained `in the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 through the medium of foot braces 6 which are hingedly connected atV 7 to the uprights 3 and are designed at 8 to be detachably connected to the lower ends of the prop members 5; each of the connections 8 being preferably made up of a pin extending 'from the adjacent prop member 5 and through an aperture in the toot brace 6, and a wingr nut mounted on and removable `from the said threaded pin. v

' l Y ingaan?? At 9 is a pocket designed to receive balls impelled throughthe apertures 2 and also designed to facilitate the passage of such balls to y an openinglO in the board l for the return of the balls or ball to the player. The said pocket 9 is formed by a wall 10"on the prop members 5, side walls 1 ot' flexible character interposed between and connected to the uprights 3 and the prop members 5 and an inclined bottom wall 12 the lower edge of Vwhich is coincident with the lower wall ot provide the opening With a flap 14, Figure 2, the said flap 14 being ot flexible material and attached along its upper edge in appropriate manner to the Wall 1 above the opening 10.

lt Will be apparent from the foregoing that a player standing at an appropriate distance in trent of the wall 1 is enabled through the medium et a goliE club to drive or pitch a ball through one ot the apertures or openings 2, and inasmuch as considerable skill is necessary for the pitching or driving` ot a ball through any one ot the apertures 2 it vvill be appreciated that the use oit my apparatus vvill increase the skill ot' a golfw player.

At 15, Figures 1 and 2, are extension rods arranged back of and in parallelism to the prop members 5. rIhe said extension rods 15 are preferably, though not necessarily. knobbed at their upper ends as des" juated by 16 so as to avoid marring et a ceiling or the like. The said extension rods 15 are carried through guide eyes 1T on the prop members 5, and the upper ot the said guide eyes 17 are provided with set screws 18 through the medium et which the rod ez.;- tensions 15 may be adjustably fixed to the prop members 5, according` to the height ot the room in Which the apjiaratus is to be located.

Approximately attached to and extending laterally and also forwardly from the upright-s v3 and also flrom the extension rods 15 are Wings 2O oi netting', the said Wings 2() being designed in conjunction with a supplemental top netting 21 carried by the extension rods 15, to lessen the pitchingl er driving ot a ball at either side or above the Wall 1. These Wings and top netting 21 are entirely detachable and may be used as an accessory, but are not essential to the apparatus proper. The wings 20 are preterably provided with marginal cables Q2, Figures 1 and 2, and each oit the said marginalcables 22 is equipped at its lower yend ivi-'th Weight 23, the said Weights Q3 having for their 'function to maintain the wings 2O in stretched state and against casual movement so as to better enable the Wings to perform the function ascribed to the same.

Mani'iestly when itis desired to 'told the apparatus and reduce the saine te a small compass, the Wings 2O n'iay be folded or collapsed so as not to add materially to the bundle toi-med by the folded or collapsed apparatus. It will also be readily appreciated in ythis connection that when iolded or collapsed, the apparatus is susceptible ot beingl expeditiously and easily opened and set up and adjusted tor use.

1n addition to the advantages ascribed to my novel apparatus, it Will be noted that the apparatus is not unduly expensive, and in general is Well adapted to withstand the usage to which devices ot' corresponding character are ordinarily subjected.

1 have entered into a detailed descriptiion or" the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced .in the present and preterred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of the said embodiment. 1 do not desire, however., to be understood as limiting my self to the precise consti' ction and arrangement disclosed, my invention bein-g defined by my appended claims Within the scope of which modications in structure yand in .arrangement may be made Without departure Jirom my invention.

Having described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Lettersplatent, is:

1. A game apparatus comprising' an apertured beard, ivings ot netting at opposite sides et' said board, a supplemental 2guardv ot net-` ting above the board, and means associa-ted with the 'board for maintaining the same in upright position; the `said Wings being pro# vided ivith marginal cables, and the said cables being` equipped at their lovver ends with `nf'eights adapted to maintain the nettinav ot' the Win-grs 'in diste-nded state.

2. A game apparatus comprising' an ,apen tured board, top members hingedly connected with said board, a pocket carried by the board and said -top members and disposed in rear of the board and having' afbottom wall declined at a point in coincide-nce with the loiver aperture ot the lboarth and Q;uard means above and at opposite lsides et the board; the said pocket being' torni-ed in part by side `Walls and a bot-tom Wall et flexible material, and the guard means at the side of the board beine` tor-med et sectie-ns oli netting with marginal cables and Weights.` and the gua-rd means above the board being termed by extension rods adjustably c'on nected to the top members and netting' carried by and interposed between said rod en! tensions.

3. A game apparatusv coniprisin-gv an .-apertzured board, extension means adjustably connected with said board, Iojuard means disposed above the board and carried by said extension means, and sid-e wings et' net-ting` associated with the boar-d and provided on their outer portions with iveipghts for maintaining them in distended state.

4. An apparatus lier use in the practice or playing of the game et golf, .comprising an aperturcd board or nal'l, and guard net ting and extension means and Weights or holding said all in useful position.

in testimony Whereotl l atiix my signature.

JERRY T; DVYEB. 

